The present invention generally relates to exercise equipment and routines, and more particularly to a versatile exercise apparatus adapted for use in weightlifting exercises and configured to be readily portable and stowable.
Exercise equipment adapted for weightlifting typically have some type of lifting bar to which weights can be added and removed to adjust the amount of weight lifted by the user. To promote their safety, weightlifting equipment have also been proposed that incorporate a lifting bar coupled to a stable support frame so that the bar and frame are both lifted by the user during exercising. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,198 to Waulters, which discloses an exercise apparatus that includes a lifting bar coupled to standards of a supporting frame. During use, the bar and supporting frame are lifted together by the user. The standards provide an adjustment capability so that the vertical height of the bar can be adjusted to allow various different exercises to be performed with the apparatus.
Weight lifting equipment are often large and bulky. To facilitate their transport and storage, weightlifting equipment have been proposed that enable the components to be disassembled and stowed to achieve a more compact outline. An example can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,556 to Gangloff.